The Bullet
by Oranakka
Summary: One-shot. What if Emily was the one who took the bullet ? My take on 1x10 and the aftermath of it.


**Hi people :)**

 **So, here is a one-shot based on the events in 1x10. I've read a couple of stories where Aaron was the one being shot, but I don't think I've seen one where Emily is one the taking the bullet. So it is my take on this scene, and especially the aftermath. It's been a while I haven't watched this episode, so I'm sorry if there are a few inconsistencies, but I think it should be ok. Also, I know there isn't two gun shots fired in the scene, but I just thought it was more credible than one bullet so badly shot that it would go to Emily. So I kinda adapted it with this idea that one bullet was shot to Kirkman, and that Hannah's shot destabilized the shooter and made him shoot another one that ended up in Emily's stomach.**

 **Anyway, I hope you'll like it, feel free to comment to tell me what you thought about it.**

* * *

Emily Rhodes was sitting next to Aaron Shore in her beige winter coat. It was a cold December day, and Peter McLeish was about to be sworn in as vice-president. She was listening to Tom Kirman's speech in front of the Capitol, but her mind was racing. The wind was blowing in the right direction, and she could smell Aaron's perfume. She was replaying again and again the scene in her head, what had happened in his office the night before. They had kissed, and she had loved it. Actually, she was even disappointed that she didn't take up on his offer to go to his place afterwards. Her prude attitude blocked her from going with him, she wasn't the type of girl who was sleeping with a man the first night, hell, the didn't even have a real date, they had just kissed. But she was conflicted, and she couldn't stop thinking about the call she had received just a couple of minutes ago either. He was the one who had made the call, and she couldn't believe it : she had just fell for a traitor. All she wanted to do was run away from him, from this ceremony, and ask him why and how he had done that. She wanted to confront him, yell at him, and kiss him again.

But suddenly, she heard two gun shots, and she felt like she was torn apart, ripped in two. Everything happened so fast, but it felt like slow motion for her. She bent over, her hand on her stomach, and she fell on her knees. She could feel blood running down on her hand, and it took her a few milliseconds to understand what was happening. Everybody was screaming around her and she could hear people coming around her. Her vision blurred and all she could see was Aaron's worried face above her, holding her, before she blacked out.

A few hours later, she woke up in a big white room with white sheets. She was sore and it took her a while before she could actually move a limb. She groaned a bit and suddenly, she felt her left hand taken by someone. Her eyes fluttered and she realized it was Aaron. She pulled her hand from his in one quick movement, and started feeling oppressed. Aaron stood up from the chair he was sitting and came toward her, worried.

"What is going on Emily ? Are you alright ? How are you feeling ?" he asked

"You're a traitor…" was all Emily could manage to say.

"What ?"

Aaron walked back, completely lost. He couldn't understand what was happening. "Traitor" was ringing in his head continuously, like a bell echoing.

"What are you talking about Emily ?" Aaron asked, confused.

"You made the call, the one who made Kirkman designated survivor" Emily said softly, still hurting from the bullet she had gotten.

"The what ? What are you talking about ?"

"Leave me alone, leave me alone or I scream" Emily said in a breath.

Aaron was completely lost, nothing could make him understand what was going on. He walked toward the door and opened it. But as soon as he crossed the threshold, he heard the bip monitoring Emily going crazy. He turned his head back to her and saw her convulsing. He started yelling in the hallway for help, and he suddenly got rushed out of the room, pushed away by nurses and doctors. He didn't know what to do, what to say, what to think. Everything was mixing in his head, he wanted to call someone, but he didn't know who. The President had been shot too, and most of the people he knew were at his bedside. He texted Seth, hoping he would answer, and waited there, lost in his thoughts. He leaned on the wall and let himself slide down against it. He waited there for what seemed like hours, and suddenly he saw Seth walking toward him.

"Hey man, got your text, what is going on ?" Seth asked, leaning on the wall too.

"I don't know, I have no idea."

"What do you mean ? Is Emily okay ?"

"I don't know. She was convulsing and they pushed me out of the room. And I haven't come back since."

"What ? Why ?"

"Because…" Aaron breathed heavily and continued talking "Because we kissed last night, and when she woke up a bit earlier, she called me a traitor, and she said I made a call, I don't know what she is talking about, she talked about a call who made Kirkman designated survivor"

Seth put his hand on his colleague's shoulder in a sign of compassion.

"I don't know either, but I'm gonna clear that up, and I'm gonna see how she is. And by the way, Kirkman is fine, he's gonna make it and he's already a pain in the ass"

It made Aaron smile lightly, and he went back to his passive state, waiting for something, but he didn't know what, while Seth left him to get news on Emily's condition.

A few days later, Emily woke up again in this big white room with white sheets, but this time, it was Alex Kirkman's hand that was holding hers. She was feeling better, she wasn't as sore as last time she had woken up. Alex stood up, still holding her hand.

"How are you feeling my dear ?" Alex asked

"I guess I'm ok, I feel like I slept forever" Emily answered, her throat sore from the days she had spent sleeping.

"You slept for three days. They gave you medicine to sleep after you convulsed three days ago. Do you remember what happened ?"

"I … I remember being at the Capitol for the Vice-President, and I remember hearing a gun shot, and blood on my hand."

"Do you remember what happened the first time you woke up after being shot ?"

"Aaron was there, and I didn't want him there, and that's all I remember"

"You know, he's been waiting for you outside your room for the past three days…"

"Why is he here ?"

"Because he cares more that you'd like to admit. Emily, I need to tell you something. He is not the traitor. I know that's what you think, because everything led you to believe that, but he's not, he has been cleared"

"He what ? But… he made the call…" Emily was still confused and dizzy.

"He didn't. He was set up, we were all set up. I think you should talk to him, don't make him wait longer. He has waited long enough sitting in this poor chair in the waiting room."

Emily sighed and asked Alex for some water. Alex took the time to explain her what she knew, how she knew it, and it seemed like everything was falling in the right place, finally making sense. Emily then waited for the doctors to come and check on her, and when they told her she was fine and out of the woods, she asked them to bring Aaron to her. He came in the room, not really knowing what to say or what to do, and stood there, the door closed, not saying anything. He looked exhausted, he had dark rings under his eyes, he looked disheveled and sad. It hurt Emily's heart to see him like that. She made a sign with her hand, asking him to sit next to her on the bed and he did as told.

"How are you feeling ?" he asked softly.

"Better… I guess." Emily answered.

And there was a blank. Nobody was talking, they were just staring at each other, looking at each other straight in the eyes. The silence was stressful, but somehow also peaceful and Emily broke it.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought that"

Aaron did not answer, he just looked at her intensely in the eyes, he was waiting for some kind of spark coming from her eyes or maybe something else, but he didn't know what. He was just tired, he was still hurt by her, and still, he wanted to kiss her. The lack of answer from Emily stressed her, made her think she had lost him forever, that he would never talk to her again, trust her again, that he would never forgive her. Her heart was beating faster than it should have, and the monitor could measure it. It was crazy to see the effect Aaron had on her right there, on a screen. Emily spoke again.

"Alex told me you stayed there for the past three days. Why did you do that ? Especially after what I said to you…" Emily asked.

"Because I didn't want to let you alone, and because I was worried, and because I care about you…"

Emily's heart skipped a bit that was heard on the monitor. Aaron turned his face toward it, worried something was happening, and then smiled softly when he realized what had just happened.

"Will you ever be able to forgive me ?" Emily asked.

"I'm sure I will. Look, I'm here, if I didn't want to forgive you, I wouldn't be here. I cannot say it won't take time, but I'm sure I will." Aaron said, holding Emily's hand tight.

He felt hurt, and he looked hurt, but he had her hand in his, like a first step in forgiveness. The little tingle in his heart was telling him he would forgive her one day, he knew he had too much to lose if he wasn't forgiving her. It would take time, just even to heal, repair his broken heart, but still, he wanted to kiss her right now. So he did. He leaned toward her, slowly, and waited a few inches from her face for some kind of approbation. She smiled softly and closed her eyes, waiting for Aaron to go through the remaining inches between her lips and his. It was a soft kiss, sweet and gentle. It was a new start, a start to build trust in each other again, to create something on a good basis, something that would take time, but that they were both willing to take.


End file.
